Stereotype mat drier



June-1,1948. WEGIBBONS Em 2,442,407

'STEREOTYPE HAT DRIER Hy.' a

June l, 1948. w. E. GIBBoNs ETAL 'STEREOTYPE MAT DRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Sept. 27, 1946 "Hmm,

mam* Aw Patented June l, 1948 2,442,407 STEREOTYPE MAT DRIER William E.Gibbons and George Scharton, Chio Illinois Publishing and hicago, Ill.,a corporation cago, Ill., assignors t Printingi Company, C

of Illino Application September 27, 1946, Serial No. 699,826 3 Claims.(Cl. 21S-34) This invention relates to driers and more particularly todevices for dehydratlng printing matrix mats for cylinder printingpresses.

In cylinder printing presses, the type forms are set up flat and thenmats of moistened paperlike plastic material are pressed onto the formsto take an impression of the printing surfaces. These mats are thendried, usually by means of cylindrically formed steam heating plates,the moisture being driven through a porous backing pad and carried awayby a suction pump.

The matrix mats are then placed in a mold having an inwardly concavecylindrical wall against which the mat lies and the printing plate isformed by flowing molten type metal between the inner face of the matand the opposite wall of the mold so as to form a semi-cylindrical shellhaving an external convex cylindrical face that is formed by the matrixand becomes the printing surface of the printing cylinder. Theobjections to this and the heretofore used driers were: that the amountof drying or dehydrating could not be accurately controlled whereby theresulting shrinkage could not be controlled; the heat used for dryingpurposes Was not constant and would usually build up `in the dryingmachine to a point where it became unmanageable; the heat used wasdispersed in all directions; were inefficient, slow in action,cumbersome to operate or install, and were expensive to maintain andoperate. Y

It was to overcome these and other obvious defects that the presentinvention was conceived.

The main objects of the present invention are to provide improved meansfor drying or dehydrating the water-soaked matrix mats preparatory toplacing them in the mold; to provide improved means of this kind thatutilizes focused infra-red rays as the drying medium; to provideimproved drying equipment that is comparatively inexpensive,comparatively Icheap to operate and rapid in its action; to provideimproved means of this kind wherein the utilized infra-red rays aredenitely focused on the mats; to provide a deviceof this characterwherein the wet mats are left under an infra-red lamp for apredetermined period of time only; to provide a device of this characterwherein the heating chamber is so ventilated that the heat will notbuild up and the absorbed moisture is carried away; to provide a deviceof this character whereby a predetermined amount of moisture may beremoved from the mats; and to provide a device of this character wherebythe mats may be shrunk to a predetermined measurement.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a matrix mat drier constructed accordingto this invention, the front wall 0f the housing being partly brokenaway to disclose the internal arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken 0n line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail of one of the belt pulleys, showing thehelically coiled wire spring belt carried by a peripheral groove on thepulley,

In the form shown in the drawings, the drier comprises a rectangularskeleton frame l to which is attached end, sides and top wall plates v2,having louvers 3 to form a rectangular housing. Extending horizontallyacross the interior of the housing 2 are opposed sets of belts 4 and 5carried by pulleys 6 on parallel shafts 'l at opposite ends of the framein such a manner that the upper flights of the lower set of belts 5 forma horizontal support for the mats 8 passing through the machine from areceiving platform 9 at one end of the machine to a delivery magazine I0at the opposite end of the machine.

The upper belts 4 press lightly on the upper face of the mats and holdthem atwise on the grid-like surface that is formed by the upper flightsof the lower belts 5. The belts are preferably formed of helically woundspring wire, such as piano wire, and are of such length as to remainstretched taut across the interior of the housing regardless of thetemperature to which they aresubjected. Such belts offer a minimum ofimpediment to the access of heat to the mats and to the escape ofmoisture therefrom.

The pulleys 6 at the delivery end of the machine, which is at the leftof Fig. 1, are driven by sprockets Il and l2 meshing with a chain beltI3 which is in turn driven by a sprocket I4 and chain belt l5 from asprocket wheel I6 driven by a motor I7 through reduction gears I8,including a worm gear and worm wheel in the housing I9.

The motor is controlled in turn by an electric circuit, not shown,having a main switch 2U and rheostat 2|, whereby the speed of travel ofthe mats through the machine on the conveyor formed by the belts 4 and 5can be accurately timed, as will be understood.

The dehydratlng function is accomplished by means of opposed banks ofreflector-type, infrared lamps 22. Each lamp 22 comprises the usualincandescent lament and an internal reflector surface arranged toproject a concentrated and focused beam of 'infra-red ray toward thepath of the mats carried on the belts 5.

Each bank of infra-red lamps is made up of a plurality of rows of lamps,each bank preferably comprising two rows of 7 bulbs each and one row of8 bulbs, evenly spaced apartso that the rays from the lamps are evenlyfocused on each side of the matrix mats. The lamps in one row arestaggered with respect to those in the next adjacent row so that thecombined effect of the lamps is to subject both the upper and lowersurfaces of the mats substantially the elects Tof the thermal jectedbythe lamps.

Each bank of lamps is carried by a rigid frame 23 having closed wiringtroughs 24 for supplying current to the lamps. This current may-also becontrolled by the switch 2!) or by independent means. Y

The frames 23 are supported on the vertical barsof the supporting frameI by means of angle irons 425 whichrare anchored at a predeterminedpoint to the frame in any suitable manner, such as by welding. ln Fig. 1the frames 23 lie in a horizontal plane which is the preferredarrangement'of the lamps.

The louvers 3 in the housing walls allows the Vair to circulate freelyby convection through the machine 'and carry off the moisture that isdriven out from the mats by the penetrating infra-red rays. The louversalsoprevent the housing from becoming an oven by building up heat. Itwill be noted that the bottomof the cabinet is open.

uniformly to rays.V that are =pro` 4 invention is herein shown anddescribed, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstructions shown may be altered or omitted without departing from thespirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim: l. A mat drier comprising a closed housing with an .openbottom,

lower conveyor belts comprising a plurality of spaced spring wires, oneset of belts above and one below for engaging `opposite faces of VthematsV Vand holding the mats atwise between them,

` opposite faces of said mats on said conveyor, said banks Yof lampsbeing symmetrically disposed with respect to the path of said mats, amotor, reduction gears and rheostat for controlling the-speed of said.belts whereby said mats areshrunkfapproximately three-eighths of anVinch Aand only eight per cent of the moisture thereinremoved as themats pass through'the housing. Y

2. A mat drier comprising a closed housing with an open bottom, aplurality `of louvers in said housing and spaced therearound, upperandlower 'Inoperation the mats arefed into the machine Y from thereceiving platform 9, one after another, being conveyed throughthevmachine by the belts and delivered to the delivery magazine lo.

The timing of the speed of the conveyor and the spacing of the lampbanks with respect to the path of the mats are adjusted by` experimentaccording to the type of material used inthe mats vand itsmoisture-carrying capacity. It has been determined that when thestandard newsprint type'of'mat is used, the mat can be shrunkthreeeighths of an inch and approximately 8% of the moisture removed,which are the desirable gures at which to reinforce .the mats withbacking felt preparatory to placing them 0n the mold, by spacing bothbanks of lights six inches away from the mats.

The six inch spacing will project therays from the lamps onthe mats inthe most eillcient manrnerand the desired shrinking and drying gures`may be constantly maintained by operating the 'belts at a predeterminedspeed. So long as the same kind of material is used and the samepreliminary procedure of preparing the mats are iollowed, little or noadjustment will be necessary. It Vwas found that moving drop ineflicienoy.

"While numerous heaters and dryers, some of them utilizing infra redradiation, have been patented, none of the devices have had controlledracli-ation or heat developed to such an extent that -theamount ofshrinkage and moisture to be removed from an article could bepredetermined.

It is toibe understood that applicants do not bone dry Vthe mats Whenutilizing Vthe machine the lamps above or be- 4low the designated 6 inchdistance resulted in a flatwise between them, banks of spacedinfra-red Yconveyormembers comprising foraminous belts, one set of belts beinglocated above and zone below the mat which it engages and holding themat flatwise between them, ybanks ofuspaced .infrared reflector lampspositioned yapproximatelyfslri inches above and below said matsforprojecting their raysl against ,opposite yfaces .of .the ,mats :betweenthe conveyors, said banks of lampslbeing symmetrically disposed withrespect to the path of said mats, a motor for driving said belts, r-.e-,duction gears andV rheostat for controlling .the speed of said beltswhereby said mats are shrunk approximately three-eighths of an inch andVonly eight per cent of the moisture therein removed asV the mats passthrough the housing.

3. A mat drier comprising a closed housing with an open bottom, aplurality of louvers in-isaid housing and spaced therearoundupper`andllower conveyor members comprising foraminous belt-s,

one set of belts being located above and one below the mat which itengages and holding themat reflector lamps positioned Vapproximately sixinches above and belowsaid mats'for projecting their rays againstoppositeA faces of -thematsjbetween the conveyors, said banks of lampsbeing symmetrically disposed with respect to the path g Yof said mats,amotor for drivingsaidbeltsand means ,for controlling the speed of *the-belts whereby said mats are shrunkfapproximately three eighths of aninch and only eight pen-cent ,of Vthe moisture therein removed-as thematspass -through the housing. WILLIAMYE. `vGrIBlBOblS.

GEO. SCHARTON. Y nnrsnnncns Terran Y The following references are oirecord rinftlie file ofthis patent: A

`UNI 15D STATES PATEN'VES Number Y n Name Date 457,281 VKukkuck Aug. 4,i891 91,656,824.- lVIarans n; .V A Jan. 17,1928 Y Powers ...L ,'.A.pr.V18, l2,308,239. Bell i p dan. .112,1-943 2,325,050.

a plurality of louvers in said Vhousing and spaced therearound, upperand

